Cataract Surgery Practice in the Republic of Korea: A Survey of the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery 2020

Abstract

Purpose: To describe current cataract surgery practice patterns and trends among Korean ophthalmologists.Methods: A survey was conducted among members of the Korean Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (KSCRS) in October 2020. Of the 998 questionnaires, 262 (26.3%) were received for analysis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and compared with those of previous surveys. Results:The largest percentage of respondents (39%) had <5 years of practical experience, and 40% had >11 years of practical experience. The average, median, and mode monthly volumes of cataract surgeries performed by KSCRS members were 31, 20, and 10 cases, respectively. Topical anesthesia was administered by 85% of the respondents. For intraocular lens (IOL) calculations, 96% of the respondents used optical biometry. The proportion of surgeons providing femtosecond laserassisted cataract surgery (FLACS) increased significantly from 5% in 2018 to 29% in 2020. This increase was accompanied by an increase in the multifocal IOLs. Those who implant multifocal IOL for >10% of their cases increased from 16% (2018) to 29% (2020). Topical nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were prescribed postoperatively by 76% of the respondents. Most respondents (70%) prescribed these anti-inflammatory drugs for 4 weeks. Conclusions:This survey provided a comprehensive update on current cataract surgery practice in the Republic of Korea. The results highlighted the increasing use of premium IOLs, FLACS, optical biometry, and topical anesthesia to better meet the patients' needs.

ESCRS Clinical Trends Survey 2016-2021: A Six-Year Assessment of Practice Patterns Amongst Society Delegates

“…18 The average annual cataract surgery volumes reported by ESCRS delegates (350 to 416) are on par with that of KSCRS members (372 in 2021), but somewhat lower than that of ASCRS members (nearly 450 in 2017). 5,19 Similarly, ESCRS delegates performed an average of 108 corneal refractive procedures in 2021, which is lower than that performed by ASCRS members (approximately 130). 17 Overall, both societies perform more cataract surgeries than corneal refractive procedures.…”

“…17 Nearly 80% of ESCRS, 96% of KSCRS, and 85.7% of ASCRS members used optical biometry for preoperative measurements. 5,22 In addition, 76.9% of ASCRS members also used tomography which, although less used by ESCRS delegates has increased significantly over the years. 22…”

“…3 Since then, several such surveys have been conducted among cataract and refractive surgeons worldwide, including in Germany, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan, and Canada, to discern the demographics of their delegates and evaluate practice preferences pertaining to IOL use, surgical techniques and complications, diagnostic devices, preoperative and postoperative management and measurements, and/or anesthesia. 4–8…”

Relationship between Cataract Surgery and Mortality in Elderly Patients with Cataract: Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study in South Korea

“…Cataract surgery has been known as the well-established treatment for visually significant cataract, which is the leading cause of visual loss among adults globally [1,2]. Nonetheless, it is uncertain whether vision improvement after cataract surgery could subsequently improve survival outcomes in the Korean elderly population [3][4][5][6].…”

A Comparative Study of Two Extended Depth of Focus Intraocular Lenses

“…1 Recently, more patients have requested a wide range of vision independent of spectacles at intermediate and near distances. 2 Traditional multifocal intraocular lenses (MIOLs) divide a certain amount of light, such as bifocal or trifocal, so that some may be used within a specific range, such as 40 or 66 cm. They may result in variations in optical quality because of photic phenomena, loss of contrast sensitivity (CS), and reduced visual acuity (VA) between individual focal spots.…”